First off, I want to say, I just found these forums and I’m so encouraged, I thought I was crazy for trying for a premed post bacc at 27!
So, I have a question for all y’all who seem to know way more about this than me.
I have a BA in Psychology that’s several years old and a poor GPR. I never took a science class in college. (Long story…highly religious parents.) I regret not following my dream and becoming a pediatrician but want to make that up now. I have a high intelligence and aptitude for science, always did well in science classes and even now for fun I listen to biology and chemistry lectures that Yale, Stanford, and MIT post for free online. But none of this matters to actually get me into a program. I’ve applied to the Post Bacc Certificate Program at UTD but I won’t get in. (Does anyone, by the way, know how long it takes to get a decision?)
I want to make myself a more desirable candidate. I’m going to take chemistry over the summer and I want to spend some time volunteering. Since I want to be a pediatrician, I was thinking about voluteering at Children’s but I have no idea in what capacity I should do that. Most of the volunteer positions are clerical or basically babysitting. While that would be fun, I don’t know how much it would help my chances of getting into a post bacc program. I’ve searched this site for already posted threads but can’t find anything to help my specific situation and questions.
What kind of volunteer work should I do? What does shadowing entail, and do you have to be a student or have other credentials to do it? I am married with 2 kids and work multiple jobs…how do you balance getting all of this done?
I have no idea what I’m doing so any advice would be fantastic.
Thanks so much! I look forward to hanging out on this forum.
I’m relatively new here, as well, but I’ll try to answer some of your questions based on a few hours of reading here.
Volunteer work: while many lean towards medically related volunteer work, it’s hardly necessary to do so. Volunteer work is meant to show that you have a desire to help others-if it gives you some medical exposure, that’s merely a secondary benefit. Find something you can be passionate about, whether that’s babysitting in a peds ward or handing out meals at a soup kitchen.
Shadowing: something I’m working on, myself. Really, assuming you aren’t fortunate enough to be in a school program that offers assistance with this, it seems like the generally accepted advice is to start asking doctors in your area. Friends and friends of friends seems to be the logical starting off point, but failing that, send a respectful letter to local docs that are in your field(s) of interest and hope someone has the time and inclination. Here’s where volunteering at a medical facility can be useful-if you get to know the docs there, it might be easier to get a shadowing opportunity.
How do you balance getting it all done? That’s the rub, isn’t it? Remember that the generally accepted advice about volunteer work is that you’ll be far better served doing 2 hours a week for 3 years than 20 hours a week for six months-ADCOMS are looking for people with the commitment to follow through, not someone who is just trying to fill in check marks on a form.
Beyond that, a supportive partner and understanding family are pretty crucial. It’s extremely likely that you’ll need to cut back on your working hours while working on your science classes, especially if you are working “multiple jobs,” and the idea of working during medical school is pretty much right out beyond something with very light hours for a few extra bucks here and there. That means cut backs financially for your family as well as cut backs on your availability for them-it is critical to sit down and have a realistic talk with your partner and then your children about how it’s all going to work out. Don’t forget that financial aid/student loans are possible financial helps, as well-I’m personally taking out the max I can each semester and shoving the unused portion in a safe deposit box (so it doesn’t show up as capital when filling out your FAFSA) so when it comes time to quit working to go to med school full time, I have that extra buffer to ease the transition.
Welcome to OPM! I have found this to be a wonderful place for advice, encouragement, and other sorts of help, and I hope you have the same experience.
First of all, you’re definitely not crazy for doing this at 27. You’re actually on the young end of OPMers, as you have likely found searching through the forum. So you really have time on your side.
In terms of volunteering, you might want to check out the free clinics in your area and see what opportunities they have available. Clearly, you wouldn’t be working just with children, but at this point in your pre-medical “career,” I think that’s OK. In fact, getting a broad taste of medicine might be a good thing for you. I work at a free clinic in Chicago as a Spanish medical translator, and it’s fantastic. I am really helping people, and learning a great deal about the practice of medicine. Plus, as NightGod pointed out, that sort of volunteering might give you the chance to get to know some physicians, which could lead to shadowing opportunities.
Speaking of shadowing … as NightGod also mentioned, talking to people you already know is a great idea. Also, as I said, volunteering is a way to meet other physicians. You can also talk to your own physician and see whether he/she would let you shadow, or if he/she knows of anyone else you could shadow. It’s all about networking, and putting yourself out there. You most certainly don’t have to be a student or have any “credentials” to do it, although you often have to have proof of basic childhood vaccines, as well as a recent TB test, to spend time in a hospital. That’s been my experience, at least.
In terms of making time to do it, that’s kind of up to you. I obviously don’t know your schedule, but shadowing is usually a daytime thing, so you have to take that into account. Volunteering can often be done in the evenings (that’s the case at the clinic where I volunteer, at least). But these things clearly take time, and you have to make time for them in some way.
Hope this helps! Best wishes to you, and keep us posted on your progress!
Amber -
Step 1 - take a deep breath! 
Sounds like you are thinking thru multiple things and trying to fit it all together.
Shadowing is not necessary prior to getting into a post-bacc program - this is something which they generally will facilitate. It IS important prior to medical school application. Also, if you might consider D.O. school, it is essential to have some time shadowing a D.O. - most schools require that. You can use a letter of recommendation from that physician for application at MD and DO schools. Read a bit on Andrew Taylor Still on the internet to think about it…very compatable with spiritual beliefs as this is part of the philosophy of osteopathic medicine.
If you look around here a little, you’ll see that some people go with a DIY (do it yourself) post-bacc - taking just the courses they need and arranging their own shadowing opportunities, MCAT prep, etc. That is one option, although I think that the pre-med advising can be extremely helpful in a formal post-bacc. I needed what I learned from that to know how to proceed with my application.
Taking a science course and doing well in it is one way to help one before applying to a post-bacc program - another would be preparing for and taking a GRE exam. Be aware that the courses that are usually part of a post-bacc program start with chem and are the basic prereqs, so you don’t want to have them all out of the way and THEN apply to a post-bacc
Hope some of this is helpful. Best of luck!
Kate
Hi Amber and welcome. I agree with the above posts. Volunteering at a local free clinic will give you both volunteer and shadowing experience. I might also suggest evening volunteering in the pediatric ER at Children’s or other hospital in the DFW area. It will give you an excellent opportunity to see a lot of pediatric cases and connect with physicians, nurses, residents. Peds ER work can be emotionally draining, but it would be a good “gut check” opportunity prior to starting med school. Also agree that DIY post-bacc is possible, and a lot of us successfully navigated that path to med school. As you’ve already discovered, there’s lots of free advice here, so don’t shelve your dreams if you can’t get accepted to a formal post-bacc program. Best of luck and keep us updated.
Hello Amber, there are a couple things to consider. First as far as your age is concerned your in better shape than many on this site. I am 45 and looking at and looking at finishing Bac and then PA school. I would suggest you schedule an appointment with a pre-health advisor at your local University. They will be able to steer you in the right direction. I myself have one scheduled for next week.
If your Cum. GPA is as tragic as you say your probably going to have to take steps to remedy that. It seems the standard in the Northwest is a minimum of a 3.6. This probably isnt much different in other parts of the country. So to alleviate a lot of uncertainty schedule an appt. with an advisor.
Hey AmberB,
you have gotten some great responses and some great advice from experienced doctors and newbie premeds. All should be looked at, thought about and applied to specific situation. Every nontrad’s situation is different and unique. (Yes, you are unique, just like everybody else!). Here are a few suggestions more to do with “mindset” then tips on on actual steps to take.
- Take a breath: The process can be overwhelming and the journey is a marathon not a sprint.
- learn “the process:” Get to know the steps you need to follow. The academic requirements, the application process, the whole thing. Its alot but it helps make a plan to fulfill your dream.
- Understand and apply the overall “philosophy” of what an application to medical school is. You are trying to show, by your actions, a pattern of commitment, motivation, and achievement in a coherent, concise and compelling manner. (more on this in a moment).
- Don’t let FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) undermine your dreams. Getting into medical school is hard, even harder if you are a nontraditional student. But it is by no means mythically impossible, despite the perceptions and misconceptions of, mainly, younger students.
Keep asking questions and, more importantly, keep posting your progress.
Hi Amber! Doing postbacc at 27 isn’t late. I myself just turned 26 and there are many people around our age in my current classes. Don’t ever give up on your dream. Best luck to you!
Hi, Amber! You mentioned that you have two children… given that you are interested in pediatrics, why not talk to your kids’ pediatrician? The last time I took my daughter in for her checkup, I mentioned this crazy dream of mine and just asked her doctor if I could come shadow some time… she was VERY excited and said I could come any time I wanted.
Most pediatricians around my area have expanded their clinic hours to be more ‘working-parent’ and ‘emergency’ friendly, so her office has hours on both Saturday and Sunday each week. During those days, the office tends to be less busy–so it’s a win/win. They need a little help around the place, so I get to volunteer AND shadow, and it doesn’t conflict with school and work during the week!
If your pediatrician doesn’t have weekend hours, I bet he/she knows one who does… also, emergent care clinics are a great place to ask around for that as well.
Best of luck! Oh, how I WISHED I’d gotten started at 27… I’m rounding the final turn towards being 34, and I’d give anything to rewind and start earlier! Enjoy the journey…
Wow!! you guys are incredible thanks so much!! This info is so great, I’m hopefully going to start volunteering this summer…how much depends on if UTDallas will accept a second degree freshman transfer with a 2.7 GPA. 
AAMC tracks a lot of data (age, gender, GPA, MCAT, etc) on applicants and matriculants on their website. I use it as reference to gauge the “going rate” so to speak.
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantm atricula…